Rounding machine



June 21, 1949- L. EJTOPHAM ETAL ROUNDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 fnven ions Laurence! 7bpham fdwz'lz-MSniii/z June 21, 1949. L. E. TOPHAM ETAL ROUNDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 [n veniors m m W E ROUNDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 [rweniors Z aura/2C8 if fi o/lam June 21, 1949. V E. TOPHAM ETAL' 2,473,621

ROUNDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, l947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 [nuen fors Laurence 5. 75 2/2027: Edwin h/Smltfi Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE ROUNDING MACHINE Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,596

15 Claims.

This invention relates to rounding machines and more particularly to a machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,030,606,, granted on June 25, 1912, upon an application of F. H. Perry.

In the operation of the usual commercial rounding and channeling machine, which in general resembles the Perry machine closely, a rapidly reciprocating knife cuts with a chopping action the sole edge of a shoe, the bottom of which is supported by a bottom rest, there also being a feed arm which is adapted to enter the crease between the sole-edge and upper and to support the sole-edge against the cutting action of the :knife. The bottom rest and feed arm are oscillated together to impart a feed movement to the shoe and their operation is so timed with respect to that of :the knife that their return stroke occurs while the knife and a sticker point associated with the knife penetrate the work and prevent it from moving. The work is thus alternately advanced and stopped at a fairly high frequency, each advancing movement being in the neighborhood of it.

The machine also is provided with guides against which the shoe is urged vertically in order to determine the spacing of the cut away from the upper whereby the edge-extension is controlled. Owing to the constantly changing curvature of the sole edge, it is evident that the shoe must continually be swung angularly to bring the desired line of cut on the sole edge into coincidence with the cutting plane of the knife. That is, proper guiding of the shoe requires that it be swung between successive cuts through the angle by which the direction of the sole edge changes between these cuts. It is this swinging of the shoe which requires much skill on the part of the operator for the reasons that during the period when the feeding movement occurs, the shoe is advanced and quickly stopped causing it to be shaken in the 'operators hands, and between successive feeding movements the gripping action of the knife and sticker point owing to their penetra tion into sole material resists the turning of the work.

In view of the foregoing it is a general object of the invention to provide an improved rounding machine in the operation of which the work is fed continuously, and resistance to the swinging of the work for guiding purposes is reduced to a minimum.

For the purpose in view and in accordance with one feature of the invention, the feeding action of the illustrated machine is provided not only by the oscillation-- .of the bottom rest and feed arm, as in the prior machine, but also by a feeding movement of the knife which is initiated before the feeding action of the bottom rest and the feed arm stops and continues until after the succeeding feeding action of-the :bottom rest and the feed arm starts. By thus avoiding the alternate stopping and starting of the feed movement a major impediment to thesmooth and regular guiding of the work by the operator is eliminated.

This same end is furthered in the illustrated machine by providing a novel mounting for the knife and the anvil with whichthe knife cooperates, this mounting .being so constructed and arranged as to permit the knife and anvil to move freely in response to any swinging movement of the work while it is penetrated by the knife. With a view to preventing excessive wear on the anvil, the knife and anvil in the illustrated machine are connected, in accordance with another feature of the invention, by means foreq-ualizing their movement so that the planeoftheknife and its line of cut on the anvil will always be maintained in coincidence.

It is evident that if the .knife is swung with the work while onecut is being made, the knife will not be in the proper position for making the succeeding out unless it has been returned to its original position before it next strikes the work. Accordingly, another feature of the illustrative machine, in which invention is to be recognized, consists of means operated upon each return stroke of the knife and anvil for returning them to the same predeterminedposition, in which the cutting plane of the knifeis tangent to the desired line of cut on the soleed'ge. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this means comprises an abutment whichis arranged to be engaged toward the end of the return stroke of the knife by one or the other of two converging walls of a forked member which isassociated with the knife. This abutment is so located as to engage both walls at, the beginning of each feeding stroke of the knife and anvil whereby they are .held in the desired angular position at this time. However, after the feeding stroke has started the forked member is moved out of engagement with the abutment whereupon the. knife is free to be turned in either direction in response to swinging of the Work.

The above and other features of the invention will more fullyappear'from the following detailed description of "the illustrated machine and will be set forth in the claims.

In theaccompanylng drawings illustrating one 3 of the several possible embodiments of our invention,

Fig. 1 shows in broken side elevation a portion of a machine for rounding and channeling shoesoles and to which the invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a part of the operating mechanism including the knife and feedarm;

Fig. 3, a detail in front elevation of the elements appearing in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a top plan view partially in section of the knife operating mechanism;

Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional detail of the cam mechanism taken on line V-V of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the time and extent of operation of the driven work-engaging elements.

Generally, the present machine is organized like that disclosed in the above-mentioned Perry patent. A lasted shoe held in the hands of the operator is located vertically for the operations upon the attached sole by a U-shaped crease-guide l (Figs. 2 and 3) carried at the forward extremity of an arm I2 pivoted at 14 (Fig. 1) upon the frame or head l6 of the machine, the work also being positioned by a forepart-guide (not shown) arranged to pivot at 22 upon the head. The creaseguide [0 is received in the crease of the shoe and positions the sole for the operations upon certain portions, as at the shank and the inside of the forepart. The forepart-guide may control the position of the work at the outside of the forepart, it becoming effective when lowered by the operator through a treadle-rod 24 and then also governing the retraction of the crease-guide. The work is advanced by a feed-arm 26, mounted to oscillate between the sides of the crease-guide which engages the welt of the shoe, and an opposed oscillatory bottom-rest 28 arranged for engagement with the tread-surface of the shoesole. The feed-arm is also reciprocable or movable bodily toward and from the bottom-rest to alternately clamp the work for feeding during oscillation in one direction and to release it during the return stroke of the feed-arm. As the work is advanced by these feeding members, it is trimmed and rounded to a contour determined by the positioning effect of the crease-guide l0 and the forepart guide, by a reciprocatory chopping knife 30, with which is movable a stickerpoint 3| partially penetrating the chip formed by the action of the knife. The sole may also be channeled during a portion of the operating cycle by a. knife 32 carried by the bottom-rest 28.

As the structure above outlined is all well known, certain elements have been partly shown in the drawings or omitted therefrom. However, all the mechanism referred to is fully disclosed in the previously mentioned patent. There will now be described, in connection with the power-actuation of the elements, the novel features of our invention. The feed-arm 26 is fast upon the forward end of a horizontal shaft 34 journaled in the head l6 and being also longitudinally movable through its bearings. To shift the feed-arm with respect to the bottom-rest 28 for the clamping and unclamping of the work, it has formed upon its inner end a coarse screw 36 (Fig. 4). This screw receives a nut 38 from which extend opposite arms 49, 4| (Fig. having rolls 42, 43 respectively, rotatably mounted thereon. These rolls engage two peripheral conjugate cam-surfaces 44, 45 respectively upon a disk 46 fixed to a main shaft 48 journaled horizontally in the head It and driven by a pulley 50. The nut 38 is held against movement axially of the screw while free to oscillate, by an arcuate projection 52 lying in a groove 54 in an arm 55 fixed to a portion of the head. As the nut is oscillated by the cam-surfaces, it acts upon the screw, to move the shaft 34 longitudinally, thereby carrying the feed-arm 25 into and out of clamping relation to the bottom-rest 28. The nut and screw have ample bearing surfaces over which the considerable clamping force transmitted is well distributed, so there is relatively little wear.

Behind the screw 36 the shaft 34 has an extension 56, secured to which is a sleeve 58. From the sleeve projects an arm 62 having rotatable upon it a roll 84 lying in a cam-groove 66 (Fig. 5) in the inner face of the disk 46. The rotation of the sleeve by the cam oscillates the feed-arm through its opposite movements for work-advance and the retraction of the arm. The bottom-rest 28 is oscillated in synchronism with the feed-arm during Work-advance, it being secured to a shaft 68 mounted to turn in the head l6. Fixed to the shaft is an arm 10 having rotatable upon it a roll 12 lying in a cam-groove 74 in the face of the disk 46 opposite to the groove 66. As in the prior machine, the bottom-rest is urged toward the feed-arm by a spring 15 and may be retracted for the reception of the work by lowering a treadlerod 16.

The chopping knife 36 not only is reciprocated to cut the sole-edge but is also oscillated, together with the sticker-point 3| and the feed-arm 26 to advance the work. The knife is clamped in a. block 89 (Fig. 2) attached to the forward ex- 35 tremity of a spindle 82 mounted to turn in arms 84, 84 depending from a sleeve 88 rotatably mounted on the shaft 34 of the feed-arm 26. The sleeve 86 is made in two parts to facilitate assembling the machine, the parts being rigidly con- 49 nected by a bolt 81 which passes through lugs 88 formed on the adjacent ends of the sleeve-parts. The inner extremity of the spindle 82 is united by a ball-and-sccket joint 89 to a lever 90 fulcrumed upon a link 92 pivoted to a portion of the head [6. The lever 90 is connected by a link 94 to a device for utilizing the rotation of the main shaft 48 to impart an oscillatory movement to the link 534, the device resembling, in its manner of operation, that disclosed in the previously mentioned patent. Fixed to the forward end of the shaft 43 is a crank-pin 96 which is inclined to the axis of the shaft. The crank-pin extends into a bore in a sleeve 98 from the opposite sides of which extend trunnions I99, mounted to rotate in a yoke I62. Extending from the yoke at right angles to the first pair of trunnions is a second pair 34 which turn about a vertical axis within bearings I06 carried by the frame It. The yoke has an arm Hi) to which the link 94 is pivoted, the oscillation of the yoke I02 produced by the inclined crank-pin 96 being transmitted by the link 94 and the lever 90 to the spindle 82 to reciprocate the chopping knife 30 and cause it to make in the advancing work successive cuts against an anvil or abutment H2 on the feed-arm. To vary the extent of movement of the chopping knife for operation upon work of different thicknesses, links 94 differing in length may be utilized.

Since the chopping knife and the sticker-point 3| are to contribute to the feeding of the work, means is provided to oscillate the arms 84 carrying the spindle B2 in a definite time-relation to the movements of the feed-arm 26 and the bottom-rest 28. For this purpose, there projects from the sleeve 86 anarm -I;I-4 (Figs. 4 and v5) having rotatable upon it a roll H6 operating in the cam-groove I4 in the disk :46 at a pointopposite the roll I2 of the lever III which actuates the bottom-rest. This imparts-to the spindle of the chopping knife the desired oscillation.

If the chopping knife is held, as heretofore, with its laterally extended cutting edge always in the same plane it interferes with the turning of the work, particularly at the-points of maximum curvature, as at the toe of a sole, whenever it penetrates orengages the work. To avoid this, the mounting of the spindle 62 to turn in the arms 84 and its connection to the actuating lever 96 by the ball and socket ,joint'89 permits the knife to turn with the work about the axis of the spindle. It must, however, enter the solematerial with its laterally extended edge lying along or tangent to the, desired line of cut. Thus to control the angle of the r knife, there .is fast upon its spindle a forked member I (Fig. .3), in the end of which is a depression having inwardly converging walls I22, I22terminating at an arcuate wall I24. .In the oscillation .of the knife, there cooperates with the member I20 an abutment constituted by a horizontal rod I25 secured at I28, I28 to the machine-head. These elements are so related that when, in an operating cycle, the knife is at the end of its return stroke and also is near .its point of maximum retraction and clear of the work, the arms 84 are in the position appearing in Fig. 3, the knife and sticker-point being ready to start their workadvancing movement. The arm I20 is retained by the presence of the rod I26 against. the wall 524 at the end of the depression so as to hold the knife in the desired position for entrance into the Work. As the knife advances and penetrates the work, the arms swing to the left during the work-feeding action, the wall I24 of the depression leaving the rod, which is now between the outwardly diverging walls I22. The knife and spindle are therefore free to be turned by the engaged work, offering no resistance to manipulation of the work by the operator. As the knife approaches the end of its return stroke and is withdrawn from the work, one or the other of the walls I22 will guide the arcuate portion of the depression against the rod, restoring the knife to its normalposition.

Were the chopping knife allowed to make its out at varying angles, as just'described, upon the anvil H2 maintained upon the feed-arm 26 at a constant angle, a plurality of crossed incisions in the anvil would be produced and there would cease to be offered to the knife a uniform abutment-surface. With this condition the work would not be severed dependably. This difiiculty we avoid by mounting the anvil to move angularly with the knife, as its anglechanges, and further provide means for equalizing their movement. Fulcrumed on adovetail stud I30 (Figs. 1 and 3) extending from the inner face of the feed-arm 26 at its lowerend isa lever I32, the lower end of which hasa slot I3'I shaped to receive the stud. The face of the lever I32 adjacent to the knife :36 constitutes the anvil or, if desired, a separate anvil may be inserted into the lever at the level of the knife as is usual in machines of this type. Upon the upper end of the lever a gear-segment I'34'is formed-(Fig. 2), and with this meshes a gear I36 upon'a shaft I38 rotatable in a bore extending longitudinally of the shaft 34 carrying the feed-arm. Opposite alongitudinally extended opening in the sleeve 86, the

and in mesh with these teeth is a gear-segment I44 upon the upper extremity of an arm I46 fast upon the spindle 8,2. The-elements are so proportioned that the angular movement of the chopping knife is ccmmunicated to the lever I32 to cause the cutting plane of the knife always to coincide with the same incised line of cut on the anvil.

The combined operation of the feed-arm 26 and its anvil II2,'the bottom-rest 28 and the chopping knife 36, with the sticker-point 3|, effects an uninterrupted advance of the work. The time and extent of action of these elements may best be followed in the diagram of Fig. 6. There. the ordinates represent the amplitude of the movements of the elements produced by their actuating means, while the abscissae indicate in degrees the corresponding stages of one rotation of the main shaft 48. The curve A represents the oscillation of the feed-arm 26 and anvil II2, curve B the work-gripping reciprocation of the anvil, curves C and C the reciprocation of the chopping knife 38 and sticker-point 3| for cutting strokes of different lengths (as required by thick or thin work, respectively), curve D the oscillation of the knife .and sticker-point, and curve E the oscillation of the bottom-rest 28 and channel-knife 32. Taking as the beginning of an operating cycle the point 0 on the curve C corresponding to the position of maximum retraction of the chopping knife and sticker-point, it will be seen from the companion curves that the anvil II2 previously in the cycle (at b, curve 13) had been shifted in to clamp the work against the bottom-rest 28 and that both these elements are swinging forward at the same rate to advance the Work (a, curve A and e, curve E). The chopping knife and sticker-point are traveling with them (d, curve D). At first this movement of oscillation of the chopping knife and sticker-point may have no feeding effect, but when they have entered the work to make the rounding out, as at c curve C, they will be effective to feed the work. While it is thus being carried forward by the anvil at the outer side and the chopping knife and sticker-point at the inner side, the return stroke of the bottom-rest occurs beginning at e curve E. This return stroke is of short duration as compared with the forward feeding stroke. At this time the knife 32 mounted upon the bottom-rest cuts a channel in the sole-bottom, the Work not only being held against back-feed by the feed-arm, chopping knifeand sticker-point but being continuously advanced by them as indicated by the rising slope of the curves A and D at a and 01' respectively. Before this feeding effect ceases, the bottom rest, having been reversed in its oscillation, again moves in the direction of feed (e curve E). The cutting stroke of the knife ends at 0 curve C. Thereafter, the knife is retracted from the anvil but it penetrates the work to some extent until a point at 0 curve C is reached. While the knife, with the sticker-point, is still in the work and feeding (d curve D), the anvil is drawn away from the bottom-rest (b curve B) and is swung (a curve A) back to the position ((1 curve A) from which the succeeding feeding stroke starts. Before the chopping knife andsticker-point have fully left the work in their retraction (a curve C), the anvil will have been shifted in to clamp the work (I), curve B) and thereafter cooperates with the bottom-rest to provide a'feeding action. After the chopping knifeand sticker-point have fully left the work and are again approaching the start of the cutting stroke (c curve C), they are quickly swung back (d curve D) and then resume their work-advancing oscillation (d, curve D) just before the cutting stroke of the chopping knife begins. Although all the feeding elements oscillate, it will be seen that they advance the work smoothly and continuously by overlapping feeding movements of the same velocity, making it unnecessary to apply the very substantial accelerating force which otherwise would be required during each operating cycle to overcome the inertia of the stopped work. As there is constant engagement throughout each operating cycle of the feeding means with the work, it is not subject to displacement by the operator. Therefore, the correct relation of said work will be maintained to such mechanisms as the soleedge-controlling cams of the rounding and channeling machine. Further, a positive resistance is furnished during the feeding action of the chopping knife and sticker-point to the tendency of the work to back-feed during the cutting action of the channel-knife. Since when the chopping knife is in the work, it is free to turn with it, manipulation by the operator is easier in rounding a curved contour.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts along a line in the cutting plane of said knife, means for moving said knife and anvil together with a feeding stroke and then with a return stroke in the reverse direction, said knife and anvil also being mounted to move together in response to an angular change in the position of a work piece penetrated by said knife, and

means for holding said knife and anvil in a precuts along a line in the cutting plane of said knife, means for moving said knife and anvil together with a feeding stroke to impart a feed movement to a work piece disposed therebetween and then with a return stroke in the reverse direction, said knife and anvil also being mounted to move in response to an angular change in the position of a work piece penetrated by said knife, means for equalizing the last-mentioned movements of said knife and anvil, and means for returning said knife and anvil to the same position at the end of each return stroke.

3. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts along a line in the cutting plane of said knife, means for moving said knife and anvil together with a feeding stroke and then with a return stroke in the reverse direction, said knife and anvil also being mounted to move together in response to an angular change in the position of a work piece penetrated by said knife, an abutment, and a controlling member arranged to cooperate with said abutment at the beginning of each feeding stroke of said knife and anvil to hold them in a predetermined position.

4. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts along a line in the cutting plane of said knife, means for moving said knife and anvil together with a feeding stroke to impart a feed movement to a work piece disposed therebetween and then with a return stroke in the reverse direction, said knife and anvil also being mounted to move in response to an angular change in the position of a work piece penetrated by said knife, means for equalizing the last-mentioned movements of said knife and anvil, a fork associated with said knife and having converging walls, and an abutment adapted to be engaged by said walls at the end of each return stroke whereby said knife and anvil are then returned to their original positions.

5. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts along a line in the cutting plane of said knife, said knife and anvil being mounted to move freely in the same direction in response to a change in the position of a work piece penetrated by said knife, and means for equalizing the movements of said knife and anvil whereby the cutting plane of said knife and the cutting line on said anvil are maintained in coincidence.

6. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts along a line in the cutting plane of said knife, means for moving said knife and anvil together in one direction to impart a feed movement to a work piece disposed therebetween, said knife and anvil also being mounted to move freely in a second direction in response to a change in the position of the work relatively to the knife, and means for equalizing the movement of said knife and anvil in the said second direction whereby the cutting plane of said knife and the cutting line on said anvil are maintained in coincidence.

7. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts, said knife and anvil being mounted to rotate about a common axis in response to swinging of a work piece penetrated by said knife, and means for maintaining a constant angular relation between said knife and anvil as they are rotated.

8. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, a spindle on which said knife is mounted, an anvil against which said knife cuts, said spindle and anvil being mounted to rotate together about a common axis, said spindle and anvil also being mounted to oscillate together with a feeding stroke and then with a return stroke in the reverse direction, a fixed abutment, and a controlling member carried by said spindle, said controlling member being arranged to cooperate with said abutment to move said knife and anvil into a predetermined position at the end of each return stroke.

9. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an anvil against which said knife cuts, said knife and anvil being mounted to rotate about a common axis in response to swinging of a work piece penetrated by said knife, and gear connections between said knife and anvil for imparting the same rotative movement to said anvil as is imparted to said knife by the work.

10. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, a carrier in which said knife is rotatably mounted, a feed-arm, an anvil mounted on said feed-arm to rotate about the axis of rotation of said knife, means for oscillating said carrier and feed-arm together about a common axis, and means operated by rotation of said knife for imparting the same rotation of said anvil with respect to said f eed-arm.

11. In a rounding machine having a recipro- 75 catory knife, an oscillating shaft on which a.

carrier for said knife and a feed-arm are fixed, said knife being rotatably mounted in said carrier, an anvil mounted on said feed-arm to rotate about the axis of rotation of said knife, and means for equalizing the rotative movements of said knife and anvil comprising a member mounted to oscillate with said shaft and a pair of arms operatively connected to said member, said arms being constructed and arra ed to rotate with said knife and anvil.

12. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, an oscillating shaft on which a carrier for said knife and a feed-arm are fixed, said knife being mounted to rotate in said carrier, an anvil mounted on said feed-arm to rotate about the axis of rotation of said knife, a memher *having pinions thereon rotatably mounted in said shaft, and gear segments associated with said knife and anvil disposed in meshing engagement with said pinions.

13. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, a bottom-rest adapted to support a work piece at one side thereof, a channeling tool carried by said rest, a feed-arm arranged to engage the other side of the work piece and having an anvil against which said knife cuts, means for moving said knife and feed-arm together with a work feeding stroke in one direction, means for moving said bottom-rest in the reverse direction during said feeding stroke whereby a channeling cut is made by said tool while the work piece is being advanced by said knife and feedarm.

14. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, a bottom-rest adapted to support a work piece at one side thereof, a feed-arm arranged to engage the other side of the work piece and having an anvil against which said knife cuts, means for moving said bottom-rest and feed-arm together with a work feeding stroke in one direction and then in succession in the reverse direction, and means for moving the knife in the said one direction throughout the period between the beginning of the reverse movement of said bottom-rest and the end of the reverse movement of said feed-arm whereby a continuous feeding movement is imparted to the work piece.

15. In a rounding machine having a reciprocatory knife, a bottom-rest, a feed-arm, said bottom-rest and feed-arm being constructed and arranged to engage the opposite sides of a work piece presented to said knife, said feed-arm having an anvil against which said knife cuts, means for moving said bottom-rest and said feed-arm together in one direction to impart a feed movement to the work and then in the reverse direction, means for moving said feed-arm toward and away from said bottom-rest to cause the work piece to be alternately gripped and released therebetween, and means for moving said knife in the direction of the feed movement throughout its cutting stroke and the period during which the work piece is released by said feed-arm.

LAURENCE E. TOPHAM. EDWIN W. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 16, 1909 Number 

